Plinian Phase Research Articles

The ad 79 Vesuvius eruption revisited: Plinian and post-Plinian falls

The well-exposed Plinian fall deposit of the ad 79 Vesuvius eruption is herein divided into 12 lithostratigraphic units: seven units in the white pumice deposit and five units in the grey pumice deposit. These distinct units are distinguished by significant variations in grain size and the ratio of lithic to juvenile clasts, enabling us to reconstruct the highly fluctuating dynamics of the eruptive column during the Plinian phase of the ad 79 eruption with previously undetected detail. These characteristics allow their distributions around the vent to be mapped, showing that the plume fluctuated between 14 and 34 km in height, depositing 6.4 km 3 of tephra in 17 h. To broaden the scope of our investigation, we extended our research to encompass five lithic-rich fall layers that occurred after the Plinian phase, providing information on the dispersion and eruptive parameters of these late fallout phases. Post-Plinian sustained column pulses persisted for several tens of minutes, with the first pulse being the longest, lasting for 44 min. This initial pulse possibly facilitated the attempts made by numerous Pompeians to flee the city following the arrival of the first two weak pyroclastic density currents.

The ad 79 Vesuvius eruption revisited: the pyroclastic density currents

Seventeen pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) were produced before, during and after the Plinian phase of the ad 79 eruption of Vesuvius. Their deposits were correlated using the proportions of components, together with the recognition of distinctive intercalated regionally traceable fall marker layers, revealing sectoral and distance-dependent variations. During an extensive field analysis, 27 lithostratigraphic units were detected and mapped and the lateral and vertical variations of 15 lithofacies were documented, described and interpreted. The total volume of PDC units is 1.25 km 3 . We consider that the early PDCs were generated by partial collapses from the sustained Plinian eruption column, whereas the subsequent post-Plinian PDCs were generated by more sustained pyroclastic fountaining. New facies mapping revealed lateral migration and extended travel distances for some of the currents. Most of the lobed PDCs remained relatively uniform, whereas the radial PDCs exhibited fluctuating waxing and waning pulses and changed gradationally down-current. Re-evaluation of the timing of caldera collapse and the transition from a magmatic to a phreatomagmatic eruption style suggests that substrate fracturing during incremental caldera subsidence may have allowed the gradual ingress of groundwater into the erupting magma. These results provide a new chronology of the eruption, revealing that the post-Plinian collapse phase lasted c. 12 h.

Complex facies architecture of unusual pyroclastic density current deposits at the Rincón de la Vieja Volcano, Costa Rica

Pyroclastic Density Currents (PDCs) constitute a complex, multiphase, and multiscale volcanic process generated in a wide spectrum of eruptive scenarios and being among the most deadly and destructive volcanic hazards. Over the north flank of the Rincón de la Vieja Volcano, Costa Rica, previous works identified PDC deposits related to the plinian Río Blanco eruption, which is the largest Holocene explosive event recorded at this volcano. However, so far, there have been no in-depth studies aimed at understanding the eruptive style, and dynamics of the parental PDCs. This work presents, for the first time, a detailed facies analysis and architecture reconstruction (plus a geochemical characterization and novel C14 age determinations) of these outstanding deposits. The presence of cauliflower bombs, juvenile mega-blocks, scorias, and pumices, coupled with the scarcity of accidental and/or accessory lithics, is interpreted here as evidence of an unusual eruptive style. We propose that the Río Blanco eruption was a single complex eruption consisting of two successive phases, each involving the drainage of distinct magma batches. The PDCs were related to the sudden spill out of a lava-pool (Arenal-type PDC), during the collapse of an ultraproximal pyroclastic cone that was built in an initial plinian phase. The collapse of this ultraproximal cone produced a leading-edge pumice-rich PDC, which increased its mobility through fragmentation-induced fluidization. This leading edge PDC was followed by successive high concentrated, mafic, modified granular flow pulses derived from the lava-pool spill out. These modified granular flows were highly channelized in proximal zones, but when they reached the main break in slope, the basal underflow froze en masse while its upper, more diluted part started to decouple and move in a more unconfined manner. After the decoupling, the material feeding towards the basal zone of the surviving current produced a new underflow by rapid suspension sedimentation (“surge-derived pyroclastic flows”). Finally, our results indicate that the generation of Arenal-type PDCs is an underestimated scenario that should be considered in future short-term hazard and risk assessments at the Rincón de la Vieja Volcano, as well as in many other stratovolcanoes worldwide.

Radiocarbon dating, magnitude, and catastrophic impact of Popocatépetl's Terminal Preclassic “Lorenzo pumice” Plinian eruption and paleomagnetic age constraints on the Nealtican lava flow field (central Mexico)

The “Lorenzo pumice” (LP) fallout was produced by a Plinian (VEI = 4) eruption of Popocatépetl volcano ∼40 cal BCE during the Terminal Preclassic period. It is part of a pyroclastic sequence that consists in stratigraphic order of fall, pyroclastic density current, and lahar deposits, which in turn are partly covered by the 70 km2 andesitic-dacitic “Pedregal de Nealtican” lava flow field on the eastern slope of the volcano.The composition of the pumice varies insignificantly (SiO2 = 61.0 to 63.5 wt%) with phenocrysts of euhedral plagioclase > orthopyroxene > clinopyroxene ± olivine ± hornblende ± opaques.Sizes of lithics and the isopach map indicate an eruption column height of ∼28 km and a dispersal axis toward the ENE, where an area of ∼600 km2 that included pre-Hispanic dispersed villages was buried under >10 cm of pumice. The minimum volume for the LP fallout was calculated at ∼0.6 km3 corresponding to ∼0.2 km3 of dense rock equivalent (DRE).The short Plinian phase ended when the column collapsed abruptly, generating lethal pyroclastic density currents that were emplaced around the volcano. It was followed by periodic flooding by rain lahars that originated from the slopes of Popocatépetl and from neighboring Iztaccíhuatl, severely affecting ravines and large portions of the plains of Puebla in the east.After the cataclysmic phase, the El Ombligo vent alignment opened at ∼4000 m a.s.l. on Popocatépetl's NE upper slope from which the lavas that form the Nealtican lava flow field emanated, an effusive activity that lasted >30 years. Paleomagnetic data for these lavas and stratigraphic evidence indicate that the lava flows with a total volume of 4.2 km3 were emplaced shortly after the explosive Plinian phase and represent the degassed portion of the LP magma.This eruption had a considerable impact on pre-Hispanic settlements around the volcano, whose population exodus and relocation probably contributed to the rise of important cities in central Mexico, such as Teotihuacán, Cholula, and Cantona.

Complex decompression and fragmentation of mingled andesite magmas driving multi-phase Plinian eruptions at Mt. Taranaki, New Zealand

Estimating the kinetics of andesite magma vesiculation and crystallization inside volcanic plumbing systems is key for unraveling andesite Plinian eruption dynamics. The conduit kinetics provide the necessary input data for estimating the magma flow rates driving magma ascent and the fragmentation mechanisms controlling shifts in eruption explosivity and style. This information is crucial for increasing knowledge on expected hazards and for developing realistic eruption scenarios. In this work, we estimate conduit magma vesiculation and crystallization kinetics during the 3300 cal BP Upper Inglewood Plinian eruptive episode of Mount Taranaki, New Zealand. This episode comprised (i) low-intensity, conduit-opening phases of dome-collapse PDCs; (ii) pre-climactic, highly explosive phases of diverse PDCs, of up to violent 18-km-runout lateral blasts; (iii) climactic phases of steady 22-km-high Plinian eruption columns; and (iv) waning phases of column-collapse PDCs. By employing synchrotron microtomography, combined with mineral/glass chemistry and electron-microscopy, we quantified 3D vesicle and crystal size and shape distributions in juvenile pyroclasts over time, and corresponding number densities ranging from 1.1 × 105 to 2.5 × 106 mm−3 for vesicles, and from 8.0 × 104 to 5.1 × 106 mm−3 for crystals. Our results indicate that tapping of chemically alike yet rheologically contrasting magmas over a multi-phase andesite eruptive episode is linked to: (a) mafic magma recharge and differentiation in multiple storage reservoirs at distinct crustal levels, (b) stepwise to rapid magma decompression while mingling, producing variable pre- and syn-eruptive degassing and crystallization, and (c) syn-eruptive changes in melt viscosity, strain rate, localized shear deformation, and conduit geometry. The earliest and least explosive eruptive phases (≈ 2 × 106 kg s−1) were produced at the slowest rates of magma decompression (0.3–0.6 MPa s−1), ascent (0.01–0.02 m s−1) and strain (< 0.002 s−1), driven by volatile diffusion and exsolution. All subsequent pre-climactic and Plinian phases (4 × 107–1 × 108 kg s−1) were produced at either rapid or intermittent rates of magma decompression (2.0–6.0 MPa s−1), ascent (0.06–0.2 m s−1) and strain (> 0.003–0.010 s−1), powered by combined magma volatile supersaturation and delayed disequilibrium degassing, decompression-induced microlite crystallization and rapid heterogeneous vesiculation kinetics, shear deformation and magma mingling. These processes enabled complex fragmentation mechanisms of the rheologically most homogeneous magmas.

Reconnaissance study on the stratigraphy and characteristics of eruption products associated with basaltic caldera in Raung volcano, East Java, Indonesia

As one of the most active volcanoes with significant eruptive impact in Indonesia, the Raung volcano shows a trace of the pre-historical devastating eruption as evidenced by the morphology of caldera at its summit. Our fieldwork revealed the occurrence of four pyroclastic fall deposits, two lava flows, ignimbrite, block and ash flow deposit, and lahar as the products of Raung eruption. There is evidence of Plinian phase eruption represented by layers of pumice fall without any significant time gap, which is uncommon for an andesitic-basaltic stratovolcano. Thin section observation on lava and the lithic fragment of block and ash flow deposits reveals that the composition of Raung volcanic products is mainly basalt consisting of plagioclase, clinopyroxene, olivine, and orthopyroxene as the primary crystal phases. Hornblende and biotite also compose pumice as a minor constituent. This evidence implies that Raung magmatism may potentially evolve long enough to produce such massive pumice fall deposits.

The late Holocene Nealtican lava-flow field, Popocatépetl volcano, central Mexico: Emplacement dynamics and future hazards

Abstract Popocatépetl, one of the most hazardous volcanoes worldwide, poses significant threats for nearby populations in central Mexico. Therefore, it is important to reconstruct its eruptive history, including estimates of lava-flow emplacement times and their rheological properties. These studies define possible future eruptive scenarios and are necessary to mitigate the risk. Stratigraphic studies of the cal 350–50 B.C. Lorenzo Plinian pumice sequence indicate that effusive activity (Nealtican lava-flow field) occurred shortly after explosive activity, reflecting drastic changes in the eruptive dynamics. It was likely due to the efficient degassing of the magma during the Plinian phase and a decrease of magma ascent and decompression rates. Magma mixing, fractional crystallization, and a minor crust assimilation are the processes controlling the differentiation of the Nealtican lavas. We used lava chemical and mineralogical composition to estimate lava-flow viscosities, and used high-resolution elevation data to estimate emplacement times. Results indicate that lava viscosities of andesites and dacites ranged from 109 to 1012 Pa·s and emplacement durations were between ~1 and ~29 years, depending on the flow unit and morphological method employed. Considering the entire volume of emitted lava (4.2 km3) and a mean output rate of ~1 m3/s to ~15 m3/s, we estimated that the effusive phase that produced the Nealtican lava-flow field may have lasted ~35 years. This eruption had a considerable impact on pre-Hispanic settlements around the volcano, whose population exodus and relocation probably contributed to the rise of important cities in central Mexico, such as Teotihuacán and Cholula.

Evaluating the state-of-the-art in remote volcanic eruption characterization Part II: Ulawun volcano, Papua New Guinea

Retrospective eruption characterization is valuable for advancing our understanding of volcanic systems and evaluating our observational capabilities, especially with remote technologies (defined here as a space-borne system or non-local, ground-based instrumentation which include regional and remote infrasound sensors). In June 2019, the open-system Ulawun volcano, Papua New Guinea, produced a VEI 4 eruption. We combined data from satellites (including Sentinel-2, TROPOMI, MODIS, Himawari-8), the International Monitoring System infrasound network, and GLD360 globally detected lightning with information from the local authorities and social media to characterize the pre-, syn- and post-eruptive behaviour. The Rabaul Volcano Observatory recorded ~24 h of seismicity and detected SO2 emissions ~16 h before the visually-documented start of the Plinian phase on 26 June at 04:20 UTC. Infrasound and SO2 detections suggest the eruption started during the night on 24 June 2019 at 10:39 UTC ~38 h before ash detections with a gas-dominated jetting phase. Local reports and infrasound detections show that the second phase of the eruption started on 25 June 19:28 UTC with ~6 h of jetting. The first detected lightning occurred on 26 June 00:14 UTC, and ash emissions were first detected by Himawari-8 at 01:00 UTC. Post-eruptive satellite imagery indicates new flow deposits to the south and north of the edifice and ash fall to the west and southwest. In particular, regional infrasound data provided novel insight into eruption onset and syn-eruptive changes in intensity. We conclude that, while remote observations are sufficient for detection and tracking of syn-eruptive changes, key challenges in data latency, acquisition, and synthesis must be addressed to improve future near-real-time characterization of eruptions at minimally-monitored or unmonitored volcanoes.

Evaluating the state-of-the-art in remote volcanic eruption characterization Part I: Raikoke volcano, Kuril Islands

Raikoke, a small, unmonitored volcano in the Kuril Islands, erupted in June 2019. We integrate data from satellites (including Sentinel-2, TROPOMI, MODIS, Himawari-8), the International Monitoring System (IMS) infrasound network, and global lightning detection network (GLD360) with information from local authorities and social media to retrospectively characterize the eruptive sequence and improve understanding of the pre-, syn- and post- eruptive behavior. We observe six infrasound pulses beginning on 21 June at 17:49:55 UTC as well as the main Plinian phase on 21 June at 22:29 UTC. Each pulse is tracked in space and time using lightning and satellite imagery as the plumes drift eastward. Post-eruption visible satellite imagery shows expansion of the island's surface area, an increase in crater size, and a possibly-linked algal bloom south of the island. We use thermal satellite imagery and plume modeling to estimate plume height at 10–12 km asl and 1.5–2 × 106 kg/s mass eruption rate. Remote infrasound data provide insight into syn-eruptive changes in eruption intensity. Our analysis illustrates the value of interdisciplinary analyses of remote data to illuminate eruptive processes. However, our inability to identify deformation, pre-eruptive outgassing, and thermal signals, which may reflect the relatively short duration (~12 h) of the eruption and minimal land area around the volcano and/or the character of closed-system eruptions, highlights current limitations in the application of remote sensing for eruption detection and characterization.

Discharge rate of explosive volcanic eruption controls runout distance of pyroclastic density currents

We address, through quantitative analysis of results from independent studies, the control of the discharge rate of explosive volcanic eruptions on the runout distance of highly hazardous pyroclastic density currents. We analyze with statistical methods data from 47 well-documented currents with runouts of ∼3–185 km and generated by minor eruptions to super-eruptions with discharge rates Q∼107–1012 kg/s. Our analysis shows first that the discharge rate during the phase of pyroclastic density currents is on average 13.6 times greater than the rate during the preceding plinian phase. We further find that the runout of both dilute turbulent currents and of two-layer flows with a concentrated base correlates remarkably well with the discharge rate. By applying the power law relationships we infer, we next model the as yet unknown discharge rates of over 53 events, including 27 super-eruptions. At a given rate, dilute currents travel on land generally farther than their concentrated counterparts, and they are even more mobile when propagating over water. We further demonstrate that the runout of dilute current scales with (Q/w)0.5, with w the particle settling velocity, in agreement with theory. Assuming concentrated PDCs obey the same principle we infer particle settling velocities of ∼1–10 m/s for these currents. We show also that the classical deposit aspect ratio, AR, allows to discriminate between emplacement from dilute (AR<∼5×10−5) and concentrated (AR>∼5×10−5) current, which permits us to discuss the dynamics of PDCs produced by the Ito (29 ka) and Taupo (AD 232) eruptions.

Comparison of Bubble Shape Model Results With Textural Analysis: Implications for the Velocity Profile Across a Volcanic Conduit

AbstractTube pumice, which is characterized by aligned elongated bubbles, is valuable for our understanding of the shear field in a volcanic conduit. Most previous studies interpreted that tube pumice forms through simple shear, assuming a parabolic velocity profile across a volcanic conduit. However, simple shear cannot account for the observation that tube pumice is rare in plinian fall deposits but frequent in ignimbrites at the Taupō volcano, if the pyroclastic flows that formed them erupted through a wider vent and had a lower average shear rate. Here, we analyze the dynamics of bubble deformation that occurred during the 232 CE Taupō eruption by combining a bubble deformation model with a conduit flow model. The results indicate that bubble deformation is largely controlled by the velocity profile across a conduit. If the conduit flow has a parabolic velocity profile, the amount of bubble elongation is unrealistic compared to the Taupō fall deposits. It is more likely that the conduit flow has a plug‐like velocity profile due to viscous heating. We numerically confirmed that bubbles in the plug‐like flow are subject mainly to pure shear and accumulate less strain for elongation. We also calculated a viscous heating flow of the ignimbrite phase. We modeled a wider conduit, which suppresses viscous heating around the conduit walls and causes a higher proportion of the conduit to experience parabolic flow, compared to the plinian phase. The increased proportion of a parabolic profile may explain the high frequency of elongated bubbles in the ignimbrite phase pumice.

The morphology and texture of Plinian pyroclasts reflect their lateral sourcing in the conduit

We investigated the relationships between the size, shape, density and texture of thousands of juvenile pyroclasts from the Plinian phase of the 1060 CE Glass Mountain eruption of Medicine Lake Volcano (California, USA). Analyzed pyroclasts, which originate from representative beds of both proximal and medial deposits, range from 0.125 mm to several centimeters in diameter. We show that the size, shape, density and texture of juvenile Plinian pyroclasts are intimately interrelated: as the size of pyroclast decreases from 64 mm to 0.125 mm, their shape shifts from equant to tabular to elongate. Moreover, while rounded vesicles dominate the largest clasts, elongate and distorted vesicles become progressively more present with decreasing clast size. Concurrently, clast density continually increases in a sigmoidal way from ∼0.4 gcm−3 (>80% porous) in the largest clasts to ∼1.7–1.9 gcm−3 (20–30% porous) by 0.125 mm. These observations are identical for both the proximal and medial locations. We show that expansion, compaction and secondary fragmentation did not significantly change the texture of juvenile pyroclasts after fragmentation. The size dependency of density and texture of Plinian pyroclasts is instead interpreted to originate from the lateral position of the magma in the conduit prior to fragmentation: smaller clasts result from higher shearing closer to conduit walls, where greater shear stresses increasingly elongate vesicles and fragment particles in smaller pieces. Moreover, ∼5% of pyroclasts 1–8 mm in size are likely agglomerates of mono-texture ash particles that sintered within the conduit during or shortly after primary fragmentation. Our work shows that future studies should analyze the full spectrum of clast sizes, from the micron- to centimeter-scale, in order to fully capture the complexity and breadth of eruptive processes across the volcanic conduit.

Evolution of magma decompression and discharge during a Plinian event (Late Bronze-Age eruption, Santorini) from multiple eruption-intensity proxies

We have coupled three independent methods to investigate the time evolution of eruptive intensity during the sub-Plinian and Plinian phases of the 3600-year BP Late Bronze-Age eruption of Santorini Volcano: (1) mass eruption rate based on new lithic isopleth maps for multiple layers of the fall deposit, (2) magma decompression rate calculated from vesicle number densities, and (3) magma decompression rate calculated from H2O gradients in melt reentrants, with methods 2 and 3 measured on the same suite of pyroclasts. Mass eruption rate increased by two orders of magnitude, reaching 210 × 106 kg s−1 at the peak of the Plinian phase (plume height 28.4 ± 1.0 km); it then declined in the final stage of fallout emplacement following the first generation of pyroclastic surges. Decompression rates from melt reentrants (0.008 to 0.25 MPa s−1) are two to three orders of magnitude lower than those from vesicle number densities, assuming heterogeneous vesicle nucleation (2 to 19 MPa s−1). Melt reentrants are thought to record slow decompression in the deep feeder conduit, whereas vesicles record much higher rates of decompression in the shallow conduit due to the steep, nonlinear pressure gradients associated with magma vesiculation and fragmentation. Upwardly converging flow from a dike-like, deep conduit to a more cylindrical, shallow conduit may also have played a role in causing upwardly accelerating flow. Variations in deep decompression rate recorded by melt reentrants are decoupled from mass eruption rate, whereas those recorded by vesicles lie in between. Taken with the transition from unsteady to steady Plinian eruption, this may reflect the existence of transient flow conditions in the conduit system due to widening and lengthening of a deep feeder dike as Plinian eruption progressed. As the mass eruption rate rose to its peak value, the fragmentation level fell in the conduit due to increasing rates of magma strain and decompression.

New insights into eruption source parameters of the 1600 CE Huaynaputina Plinian eruption, Peru

In the Central Andes, large Plinian eruptions (Volcanic Explosivity Index ≥ 5) occur at a relatively high frequency, i.e. average one every 2000 to 4000 years over the past 50,000 years in Peru. Such recurring explosive activity represents a significant challenge for regions typically hosting several million people (e.g. Southern Peru, Western Bolivia and Northern Chile). With VEI 6, the 1600 CE Huaynaputina eruption is considered the largest historical eruption in South America. We have re-examined the first Plinian phase of this eruption in order to better assess critical eruption source parameters (i.e. erupted volume, plume height, mass eruption rate, eruption duration).The revised bulk volume of the tephra-fall deposit associated with the Plinian phase is approximately 13–14 km3, almost twice the previous estimate (7–8 km3 within the 1 cm isopach) based on methods including power law, Weibull function and Bayesian linear regression. Tephra was dispersed by strong winds to the WNW as far as 400 km on Peruvian territory and then in the Pacific Ocean. Seven villages were buried, killing ~ 1500 people. The revised plume height estimate, 32.2 ± 2.5 km, is consistent with the early estimations. As a result, the Huaynaputina 1600 CE first eruption phase lies in the upper part of the Plinian field close to the ultra-Plinian transition, making this event one of the largest in the past millennium which coincides with results from recent studies on palaeoclimatic impacts.

Modelling and physico-chemical constraints to the 4.5 ka Agnano-Monte Spina Plinian eruption (Campi Flegrei, Italy)

The 4.5 ka trachytic Plinian eruption of Agnano-Monte Spina is the largest magnitude event of the past 5 ka at Campi Flegrei caldera. The complete eruptive sequence consists of six members, three of which, named A, B and D, are characterized by the association of fallout and pyroclastic density current (PDC) deposits well preserved at proximal locations.In this study, we analyze the textural characteristics of the pumice clasts of the three major fallout deposits (A1, B1, D1) and of their associated PDC deposits (A2, B2, D2), and link them to the physical properties of magma in order to investigate conduit fluid dynamics. A combination of data (field work, grain-size and density measurements, vesicle number densities and size distributions, crystal content, water content) is used to set up the source term conditions for numerical simulations.Each fall/PDC transition is accompanied by distinctive changes in textural properties of the juveniles, recognized by a lowering in vesicle number densities of about one order of magnitude (from 108 to 107cm−3), indicating a significant decrease in the magma ascent rate. Melt inclusions show a marked decrease in volatile content recurrent at each fall/PDC transition and indicate that the three main pulses of the eruption were fed by distinct and progressively deeper magma batches. Numerical simulations, taking into account magma properties derived from the textural analyses, and variations in initial water content, show decreases in the exit velocities and Mass Discharge Rate (MDR) consistent with such fall/PDC transitions. Different initial water contents together with changes in conduit diameters allow us to simulate the different column heights reconstructed for the three Plinian phases. The reconstructed scenario for the Agnano-Monte Spina eruption involves a stop-start behavior and a top-down trigger for the most voluminous and intense eruptive episode D.

Combining textural and geochemical investigations to explore the dynamics of magma ascent during Plinian eruptions: a Somma–Vesuvius volcano (Italy) case study

Trigger mechanisms and syn-eruptive processes of Plinian eruptions are poorly understood especially in the case of mafic powerful events. In the last decades, the combined geochemical and textural studies on volcanic rocks have proven to be fundamental tools for exploring the dynamics of magma ascent in volcanic conduits and for improving our ability to interpret volcano-monitoring signals and assess hazard. In this case study, we quantitatively investigate 2D and 3D micro-textural, geochemical, and isotopic features of pyroclastic rocks erupted during the Pomici di Base Plinian eruption (22 ka), the generally acknowledged first and most powerful event of the Somma–Vesuvius volcano. A peculiar aspect of this eruption is its high intensity that remained stable during the entire Plinian phase despite the strong magma compositional variation towards mafic terms. We infer that the transfer of magma towards the surface was intensified by the occurrence of rapid vesiculation pulses driven by limestone assimilation (skarn recycling) during magma ascent through the carbonatic bedrock. We conclude that limestone assimilation can hence be a syn-eruptive process, able to trigger further gas nucleation with deep impact on the eruption intensity, particularly crucial in the case of mafic/intermediate magma compositions.

Total grain-size distribution of four subplinian–Plinian tephras from Hekla volcano, Iceland: Implications for sedimentation dynamics and eruption source parameters

The size distribution of the population of particles injected into the atmosphere during a volcanic explosive eruption, i.e., the total grain-size distribution (TGSD), can provide important insights into fragmentation efficiency and is a fundamental source parameter for models of tephra dispersal and sedimentation. Recent volcanic crisis (e.g. Eyjafjallajökull 2010, Iceland and Córdon Caulle 2011, Chile) and the ensuing economic losses, highlighted the need for a better constraint of eruption source parameters to be used in real-time forecasting of ash dispersal (e.g., mass eruption rate, plume height, particle features), with a special focus on the scarcity of published TGSD in the scientific literature. Here we present TGSD data associated with Hekla volcano, which has been very active in the last few thousands of years and is located on critical aviation routes. In particular, we have reconstructed the TGSD of the initial subplinian–Plinian phases of four historical eruptions, covering a range of magma composition (andesite to rhyolite), eruption intensity (VEI 4 to 5), and erupted volume (0.2 to 1km3). All four eruptions have bimodal TGSDs with mass fraction of fine ash (<63μm; m63) from 0.11 to 0.25. The two Plinian dacitic-rhyolitic Hekla deposits have higher abundances of fine ash, and hence larger m63 values, than their andesitic subplinian equivalents, probably a function of more intense and efficient primary fragmentation. Due to differences in plume height, this contrast is not seen in samples from individual sites, especially in the near field, where lapilli have a wider spatial coverage in the Plinian deposits. The distribution of pyroclast sizes in Plinian versus subplinian falls reflects competing influences of more efficient fragmentation (e.g., producing larger amounts of fine ash) versus more efficient particle transport related to higher and more vigorous plumes, displacing relatively coarse lapilli farther down the dispersal axis.

Characteristics and consequences of lava dome collapse at Ruawahia, Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand

The eruption of large, rhyolitic lava domes may be accompanied by the formation of large block and ash flows. This may be linked to the style of dome extrusion—whether it forms a series of individual lobes, flows or spines (exogenous) or grows by internal inflation (endogenous). Lava domes can transition from one extrusive style to another as a result of a change in extrusion rate or the formation of facilitating structures such as shear zones. How this change can affect large rhyolitic lava domes is unclear as there are few historically recorded rhyolitic dome eruptions. Here, we present structures at Ruawahia lava dome (a well exposed ~ 700-year-old lava dome), how these facilitating structures enable exogenous extrusion at Ruawahia dome, and link this to collapse episodes along the fringes of the dome during growth. Ruawahia dome is part of the Tarawera dome complex, a chain of domes running parallel to regional structures across the Okataina caldera complex in the Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand. Ruawahia dome consists of (1) a high porosity (44–52%), crystalline (65% DRE), locally brecciated carapace facies with rare bread-crusting and ‘ropey’ flow textures; (2) a core facies of dominantly low to moderate porosity (20–25%) with elongate vesicles that mark weak flow bands; and (3) thin (< 5 m thick) interior breccia zones. Flow bands at Ruawahia are complex and do not fit with hypothesised flow band orientations attributed to a single phase of exogenous or endogenous dome growth. Inward dipping flow bands on ramp structures on the flow surface suggest a flow-like (coulee) morphology; however, steeply dipping and multidirectional flow bands on the edges of the dome challenge this hypothesis. Widespread block and ash flow deposits have been sourced from the leading dome fronts to the NW and SE; these collapse events left behind inflated and bread-crusted outcrops on these dome fronts, suggesting syn-eruption collapse events that led to expansion of a hot, pressurised dome interior. We consider Ruawahia erupted from multiple, aligned vents, either as lobes confined within the crater of a pyroclastic cone formed during the initial Plinian phase of the eruption or those able to flow down the cone flank. The confined lobes formed steep internal breccia zones as individual dome lobes extruded past one another. Lobes that were able to overcome the pyroclastic cone rim (or where the vent was outside the crater) were able to flow down the flanks as bulldozing, thickening flows with dominantly ductile interiors and brittle exteriors; these flows collapsed as the front thickened, possibly due to a decrease in gradient, producing widespread block and ash flows. The removal of lava associated with collapse generated a decompression event which resulted in fragmentation, cracking and vesiculation in the hot interior of the lava flows. These events left behind a re-vesiculated and bread-crusted lava flow front and produced block and ash flows with abundant breadcrust bombs that reached the base of Tarawera.

Evolution of the magma feeding system during a Plinian eruption: The case of Pomici di Avellino eruption of Somma–Vesuvius, Italy

The current paradigm for volcanic eruptions is that magma erupts from a deep magma reservoir through a volcanic conduit, typically modelled with fixed rigid geometries such as cylinders. This simplistic view of a volcanic eruption does not account for the complex dynamics that usually characterise a large explosive event. Numerical simulations of magma flow in a conduit combined with volcanological and geological data, allow for the first description of a physics-based model of the feeding system evolution during a sustained phase of an explosive eruption. The method was applied to the Plinian phase of the Pomici di Avellino eruption (PdA, 3945 ±10 cal yr BP) from Somma–Vesuvius (Italy). Information available from volcanology, petrology, and lithology studies was used as input data and as constraints for the model. In particular, Mass Discharge Rates (MDRs) assessed from volcanological methods were used as target values for numerical simulations. The model solutions, which are non-unique, were constrained using geological and volcanological data, such as volume estimates and types of lithic components in the fall deposits.Three stable geometric configurations of the feeding system (described assuming elliptical cross-section of variable dimensions) were assessed for the Eruptive Units 2 and 3 (EU2, EU3), which form the magmatic Plinian phase of PdA eruption. They describe the conduit system geometry at time of deposition of EU2 base, EU2 top, and EU3. A 7-km deep dyke (length 2a=200–400 m, width 2b=10–12 m), connecting the magma chamber to the surface, characterised the feeding system at the onset of the Plinian phase (EU2 base). The feeding system rapidly evolved into hybrid geometric configuration, with a deeper dyke (length 2a=600–800 m, width 2b=50 m) and a shallower cylindrical conduit (diameter D=50 m, dyke-to-cylinder transition depth ∼2100 m), during the eruption of the EU2 top. The deeper dyke reached the dimensions of 2a=2000 m and 2b=60 m at EU3 peak MDR, when the shallower cylinder had enlarged to a diameter of 60 m and a transition depth of 3000 m.The changes in feeding system geometry indicate a partitioning of the driving pressure of the eruption, which affected both magma movement to the surface and dyke growth. This implies that a significant portion of the magma injected from the magma chamber filled the enlarging dyke before it erupted to the surface. In this model, the lower dyke acted as a sort of magma “capacitor” in which the magma was stored briefly before accelerating to the cylindrical conduit and erupting. The capacitor effect of the lower dyke implies longer times of transit for the erupting magma, which also underwent several steps of decompression. On the other hand, the decompression of magma within the capacitor provided the driving pressure to maintain the flow into the upper cylindrical conduit, even as the base of the dyke started to close due to the drop in driving pressure from progressive emptying of the magma chamber.The shallower cylindrical conduit was shaped through the erosion of conduit wall rocks at and above the fragmentation level. Using the lithic volume and duration of EU3, the erosion rate of shallower cylindrical conduit was calculated at ∼5×103 m3/s. The outcomes of this work represent an important baseline for further petrologic and geophysical studies devoted to the comprehension of processes driving volcanic eruptions.

The 1845 Hekla eruption: Grain-size characteristics of a tephra layer

The 1845 eruption is commonly viewed as a typical Hekla eruption. It is a key event in the eruptive history of the volcano, as it is one of the best documented Hekla eruptions, in terms of contemporary accounts and observations. The eruption started on 2 September 1845 with an intense, hour long explosive Plinian phase that passed into effusive activity, ending on the 16 March 1846. The amount of tephra produced in the opening phase was 0.13km3/7.5×1010kg. The total grain-size distribution of the deposit is bimodal with a dominant coarse mode at −2.5 φ (5.6mm) and a broad finer mode at 3 to 4.5φ (0.125 to 0.045mm). At individual sites, the grain-size distribution of the tephra from the Plinian opening phase is also commonly (not always) bimodal. Deconvolved grain-size distributions exhibit distinctly different sedimentation patterns of the coarse and fine subpopulations. The lapilli-dominated subpopulation fines rapidly with transport, while the ash-dominated subpopulation shows less changes with distance, indicating premature sedimentation of fines by aggregation from the 1845 volcanic plume. Tephra deposition was to the ESE of the volcano from a 19km (a.s.l.) high eruption plume. The plume front travelled at speeds of 16–19ms−1. Reports of ash deposition onto ships near the Faroe and Shetland Islands, 700 to 1100km away from Hekla, demonstrate that even moderate-sized Hekla eruptions can affect very large parts of European air-space.